Virtual Interface Architecture: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 20:11, 26 February 2007

Revision as of 15:50, 27 November 2007

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The [[Virtual Interface Architecture]] (VIA) is an abstract model of a user-level zero-copy [[computer network | network]], and is the basis for [[InfiniBand]] and [[iWARP]]. Created by [[Microsoft]], [[Intel]], and [[Compaq]], the original VIA sought to standardize the interface for high-performance network technologies known as System Area Networks (SANs), regrettably it is the same acronym as [[Storage Area Network]]s.

Networks are a shared resource. In traditional networks such as [[Ethernet]], the network is protected by the [[kernel (computer science) | kernel]], which presents a tremendous performance bottleneck when [[lag | latency]] is an issue.

One of the classic developments in computing systems is [[virtual memory]], a combination of hardware and software that creates the illusion of private memory for each process. In the same school of thought, a virtual network interface protected across process boundaries could be accessed at the user level. With this technology, the "consumer" manages his own buffers and communication schedule while the "provider" handles the protection.

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So essentially VIA is a standard that defines kernel bypassing and RDMA in a network. It also defines a programming library called "VIPL". It has been implemented, most notably in cLAN from Giganet (now [http://www.emulex.com/ Emulex]). Mostly though, VIA's major contribution has been in providing a basis for [[InfiniBand]] and [[iWARP]].

==External Linkslinks==

*[http://www.usenix.org/publications/library/proceedings/als00/2000papers/papers/full_papers/rangarajan/rangarajan_html/node3.html Usenix notes on VIA]

*[http://www.intel.com/intelpress/chapter-via.pdf The Virtual Interface Architecture], a book from Intel

[[Category:Supercomputers]]
[[Category:Computer networks]]